Maybe you've already decided to be drug-free. You want to stay healthy,
so you avoid drugs and alcohol all the time. That's great! But be aware
that there's a group of drugs that certain individuals are using AGAINST
others. They're nicknamed the "Date Rape Drugs," and the name says a lot
about why you need to keep your eyes open for these substances.

What are the Date Rape Drugs? The three drugs that have been used most
often to knock out innocent victims are GHB, Rohypnol, and Ketamine.
These drugs have some medical uses, but in the hands of random
evildoers, they're lethal weapons.

Here's a weird one: Some people actually take these drugs on purpose to
get high or to have a new, strange experience. It's a FATAL choice with
GHB, Rohypnol, or Ketamine, because a deadly overdose of any of them can
occur extremely easily.

Read on to learn more about what these drugs are, and how you can guard
against their knockout punch.

The Tom Green County Coalition Against Violence and its membership wants
you to PARTY SAFE!

GHB, Rohypnol, and Ketamine are real threats if you're not watching out for them. A dose of any of them could make you unable to protect yourself in under a minute. If you don't know people in your group very well, you don't know what they might do.

Sexual assaults and robberies have happened to both MALES and FEMALES. People who are big and strong become as weak as babies under the influence of these drugs. It could happen to you!

Protect yourself and protect your friends. If you see someone messing around with another person's drink, question them or tell the drink's owner what happened. If you see someone taking advantage of another person who is unconscious or defenseless, speak up!

Step in and prevent a tragedy, or get help.

About GHB & its
Effects

GHB (gamma hydroxy-butyrate) is chemically similar to a substance that is
found in every cell of the human body. Some users claim that this means it's
safe, but they are wrong. GHB is a depressant, so it slows the brain and
body. Using any depressant without a doctor's supervision is hazardous. In
the past, doctors have used GHB to treat various conditions, including
childbirth problems and anxiety. Some weightlifters claim it builds muscle,
but no scientific studies have proven that. GHB was outlawed in 1990 because
of the ease of overdose and addiction.

In small doses, GHB produces a mild sedative effect, slowed heart and
breathing rates, inability to think quickly or logically, and physical
weakness. Repeated use can lead to addiction and tough withdrawal. If
someone takes a bit too much at once, GHB can produce seizures, coma, or
death.

GHB is usually found in liquid, which users sip from bottle caps. The drug
is clear and odorless and tastes like salt water, but when mixed with a
sweet or strong-flavored drink, its taste is mostly covered up.

ABOUT ROHYPNOL
Rohypnol is the brand name of flunitrazepam, a surgical anesthetic used
legally by doctors around the world. It is about 10 times more potent than
most common sleeping pills. Rohypnol is illegal in the U.S. and Canada.

Rohypnol causes muscle relaxation, unconsciousness, and amnesia. Abusers who
take small amounts feel hypnotized. Rohypnol can be addictive, and people in
withdrawal often suffer seizures. Rohypnol is incredibly dangerous,
especially if taken with other sedatives like alcohol. Accidental overdose
is deadly.

Rohypnol tablets may be called Roofies, Roach, Roofenol, Roche,
Roll-and-Fall, or The Forget-Me Pill.

The pills are usually round, white and labeled "Roche," with a circled
number "1" or "2." Sometimes the pills are ground into powder. Rohypnol
dissolves quickly in liquid. It is tasteless and ordorless when mixed in a
liquid.

ABOUT KETAMINE
Ketamine was developed in the 1960's as an anesthetic for surgeries. It is
closely related to PCP. Both are called "dissociatives." Which means that
they cause a splitting from reality. Ketamines is legal for use by
veterinarians.

EFFECTS of KETAMINE
Ketamine causes unconsciousness, hallucinations, loss of body control, and
numbing. It can also cause agitation, confusion, and difficulty
communicating. When people awaken after using Ketamine, they have amnesia.
Overdose can be fatal.

Some of Ketamine's street names are Special K, Vitamin K, Ketaject, and Cat
Tranquilizers.

Ketamine is found in a white powder or a liquid in small pharmaceutical
bottles. It is odorless and tasteless. It works super quickly, so if someone
put it in your drink you would lose consciousness in less than a minute!